Saturday, December 28, 2013

So now it's time for New Years...Congrats to the winners over on Facebook. Hope you all liked your gifts.

I am going to try something different with this blog. Like do a contest each month to win a print book or a nicer SWAG item. Since no one comes here or comments, I won't have to worry about actually giving the prizes away. A great way to do giveaways...saves loads of time and postage.

You see, to win, people will actually have to come and comment...so easy.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Drop on over to my Facebook fan page by clicking the link on this blog, and enter to win one of 13 great prizes!The only catch is, you have to "like" my fan page to leave a comment on the post about my giveaway. And no...I am NOT sneaky. Most of you are already Facebook friends of mine, but I finally caught on to the importance of a FB fan page. I may never reach 1,000,000 Fran Lee fans, but that's okay. Quality is far more important than quantity. LOL!

Friday, November 29, 2013

So I removed the excerpt. I guess I will go back to my usual style of writing. Thanks to any of you who might have dropped by to read. However, since no one gave an opinion (good or bad), it is a moot point and is now gone on to greener pastures.

Friday, October 18, 2013

And my release day contest is up and running over on my website! Drop on over and have some fun...win a prize. The contest runs from now through October 25, 2013. Prizes will be awarded by random draw out of all correct answers.

Friday, October 11, 2013

And there will be a release day contest beginning October 18, 2013 and ending October 25, 2013. Drop over to my website on release day and check out the rules and prizes. The rules are easy for those who are familiar with my books, but if you have not read any of my books, you can still find the answers easily enough, and there will be multiple prizes, so join the fun!

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Snow is coming down in the mountains, and the fall colors are taking over the valley...

I love this time of year...even though I don't like freezing cold, the change from the scalding temps of late summer is always welcome...except when it jumps from 95 degrees to 39 degrees in one week. BRRRRR.

I really love being in a place that gets the full season changes every year. Halloween is coming up...my new book will be released this month...and the snap in the air is wonderful. Did I mention that I went out and bought two new coats last week?

Now, if you live in Florida or southern California or Arizona or Las Vegas, the changing seasons are not quite as obvious. How do you deal with Christmas without snow? Autumn without falling leaves? Or spring with temps in the 90's?

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Last year I had six books published. This year, I have only one so far. But the uphill battle with my muse was worth every moment. I certainly hope that this offering meets with the exacting standards my readers have impressed on me. LOL!

I have been threatened with all manner of dire consequences if this book does not meet the standards of at least four readers. What are those standards, you ask? Well, here they are:

1.) The hero must be intensely hot and sexy

2.) The Heroine must be feisty and funny

3.) The book must contain at least one Native American character

4.) And the book must be over 70 pages...

I hope that I have met or exceeded those standards. I suppose I'll find out when the release comes out on October 18th.

You know, people complain that my books are too short. However, when I try to "flesh them out", they tend to get slammed for being "not exciting enough". You know, putting 100 hot sex scenes into a book takes a lot out of an author...

I love writing erotic romance, but if you have noticed, most of my books have only the lovers, plus maybe one or two secondary characters. Yes...I could flesh out the books to make them 50 pages longer, but the heat and the humor would suffer if I had ten secondary characters.

What do you think? If you have read any of my books, tell me whether you would prefer to have a longer story. Do my books need more sex or violence or suspense? I want to hear your thoughts on these things...

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Running
away from heartache is easier than facing it. But when Chellie runs
from a bad relationship with a cheating ex and lands smack-dab in the
arms of a hot and sexy stranger who thinks she was born to be his mate,
could things get any weirder?

They
sure can…especially when she discovers she’s a closet nymphomaniac and
he’s a shape-shifting explosion of animal magnetism she simply can’t
resist.

Beginning Friday, October 18th, I will begin my new release contest on my website. Be sure to drop over and check out the contest rules...

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

She's faster than greased lightning...and so am I. I got the edits this afternoon and zipped them back to her this evening. It's wonderful to have an editor who likes my stuff. I went through a period of time when my editor detested my stuff...and I almost stopped writing all together. It really does take a team to make these things work. My editor is a great teammate.

If the copy editor and FLE get this one finished as quickly, I might have this one out within the next 60 days or so. Whoot!

Saturday, September 14, 2013

I love reading about them in books by other authors. There is just something deep and magnetic about them. In Skinwalker's Woman, both hero and heroine are NA. I woke up one morning and I sat down to write, and things just poured out. Which is my usual method of writing. My muse just grabs me by the ear and shoves me into the chair and says, "write or die..."

I have begun to feel isolated in my writing. Alone. I write for myself. Even my blogs are written for myself rather than for others. They are an extension of me, and very few share them, read them, or drop by. I no longer go to the loops and ask for folks to come read. I figure they will show up if they wonder what I'm up to.

I post photos that mean something to me. I talk about things that make me think happy thoughts. So this one is short and sweet. And if anyone reads it and wants to comment, that's great. If not, that's also okay.

Friday, August 30, 2013

And I love David Nieves...what's not to adore? So what do you think? I hope the edits (coming in about three weeks, according to my editor) are as quick as the art work. I'm hoping that this book gets out before year's end.

Almost halfway through my next wip. I think my muse is back on board and ready to rock. I sure as heck need to keep busy and to get my fanny in gear.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

I will officially be OLD AS DIRT on Monday, and to keep my mind off my deteriorating body and mind, I will happily give a copy of this one to one of the few people who comment on my posts. (So that gives you a one-in-four chance of winning!)

There IS a catch, though...in your comment, you must tell me which of my books you like the best (that means, of course, that you must have read at least one of them), and which part you liked the best. PLUS you must put your e-mail address and your name so I know who gets the prize.

Easy peasy...so go on and leave me a comment. I'll choose the winner on August 30th at midnight.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

I try to come up with something that hasn't been overused...something that has a definite zing to it. My heroes must have names that remain firmly embedded in a reader's mind. My heroines must have names that symbolize what kind of woman each is. And that is not an easy task. Take Uncertainly Yours, for example...

Jacqueline O'Halleran (aka "Jack") and Lance Blackfeather. Of course, my heroines are often tomboy types, so Jack lives up to her name. And of course, the name Lance brings to mind amazing phallic images for most of us with happily dirty minds. It also keeps with the Native American imagery.

And, of course, Woman on Fire had a few twists, so to speak...when the heroine (who was a red haired, blue-eyed pale face) was named Cheyenne Red Wolf. And our hero was named Azrael (the Arabic/Hebrew name for the angel of death) Thunderhorse.Cheyenne was raised by her Native American adoptive father and grew up more Indian than Anglo. And Azrael's mom didn't think he deserved to be saddled with a name like "Bubba" or Jim Boy".

Now, Never Tempt Fate has a heroine with a simple, traditional name that has a connotation of prim and proper. Christine (Chris) Lange is not your world wise, jaded gal, and she has absolutely no luck when it comes to men. In spite of her age and her experience, her experience of men is nil. Antonio hates to have anyone call him by his full given name, and prefers "Tonio"...so to prove she isn't under his thumb, Chris calls him Antonio.

When I used to write my stories back when I was a brat, I used the exact same name for every hero and heroine, just to keep it simple. But when I subbed the stories many years later to a publisher, I had to think up something unique for each couple. Or think up a unique twist on the way each character views their own name.

Names are very personal, very important issues for authors. I sometimes start reading a book or story I have purchased, and I cringe when I try to place the name given with the hot, sexy character I am reading about. Unless the story is tongue-in-cheek...and then I totally suspend my own thoughts, and go with the flow and the fun.

What are your thoughts on names for characters? Do you often find yourself making up new, sexier names for the characters you read about in books? Something that flips YOUR switch? I have to admit, I certainly do from time to time. LOL!

Sunday, July 7, 2013

I never really thought about it when I was writing these stories, but each one of these has a non-white hero. A hero of "color". To me, the heroes are simply heroes...sexy men with enough alpha appeal to wipe out any woman's resistance. In Never Tempt Fate, the hero is Hispanic (or as many reviewers say, "Latin/Latino). Tonio is one of my special men...hot and sexy and vulnerable. But his vulnerability makes him stronger.

My identical twins in Double Your Pleasure are Native American. Hot, delicious, and total opposites in personality, if not in looks. Hard-headed but soft hearted. They share cars, clothes, an apartment, and sometimes, women. Jonathan and Jason are modern big city guys. But they never forget their roots.

In Nothing but Sex, the hero, Mike Running Elk is a down-to-earth Native American. Strong and loving, and in love with an older woman who was once married to a man with looks and charisma...something Mike doesn't believe he has. But those who have read this book know that this man has more than enough of both to sink a battle cruiser.

The hero of My Sexy Sensei is Korean-American. A man with a mission. And that mission is to overcome the resistance of one hot female black belt who thinks that work and sex don't go hand-in-hand. But James Rhee can't afford to let her off the hook, because she's the first woman in a very long time who has exactly the combination of attributes he wants...

Azrael Thunder Horse is one hard-headed, powerful man who firmly believes that Native Americans should stick with Native Americans. In Woman on Fire, our hot, sexy hero tries his damnedest to fire the new teacher he just hired...because she isn't a "real" Indian. But he can't seem to get the sexy red-head out of his thoughts...and he sure as hell can't keep himself out of her bed.

Each one of my "men of color" has very real issues...issues that helped make him what he is. But I didn't write my stories with the color of his skin in mind...rather his cultural difference that builds conflict and tension in the story. But I am learning that there are many readers and reviewers out there who buy these books because they love romances between interracial or intercultural couples.

Never thought about that until my books began to show up on review sites that specifically review such books. I am learning as much from my readers as they are learning from me. And I love it!

My latest wip is about a Native American hero who is also a shapeshifter...now there's a combination of cultural conflicts if ever there was one. Again, I never thought about that while writing.But if my editor likes it enough to contract it, that will bring my special heroes to a total of seven. And it will be my first Native American heroine...

What do you think about interracial/intercultural stories? Any thoughts?

Saturday, July 6, 2013

And when I do, I still only get a few folks who drop over and read. So I blog mainly for myself...talking about how I feel and what is bugging me. I have a couple of good pals who drop over and comment, and I count myself lucky to have them. To those of you who drop in every now and then, my deepest thanks.

It's wonderful that you are kind enough to encourage this old broad. LOL!

Some of us have been friends since I first started writing, back in 2008-2009...and it thrills me to see you writing and getting your work published. I know what a challenge it is to keep fighting to get your muse to work, and to get your work accepted. Some of you have gone to mostly self-publishing. Others have branched out to other smaller publishers. It amazes me how proud I am to know each of you...for many of us began writing and getting published around the same time.

Thanks so much for your courtesy and concern. And thanks for being there for me.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Have you ever walked down the street, or strolled through the mall, and had that OMG! gut clenching, heart-shaking feeling just at the sight of a person who catches your eye? We all have certain physical preferences in mind...but there is always that one image that jumps out at us and just screams "Come and get me!"

Ever been introduced to someone at a party or an event, and couldn't quite make your mouth work to get out a simple "Hi, there...how ya doing"? because your pussy clenches and your heart races and your thoughts get totally scrambled? What makes that happen? Do you think that pheromones can affect us that way? Or is it our inner voice that tells us we are about to embark on the hottest ride we could ever imagine?

I can be driving along the street and some dude saunters along the sidewalk...and it takes iron nerves to keep driving without doing the rubber-neck thingy. And oddly enough, that same dude probably doesn't even look hot to hundreds of other females driving along...so why did he effect me so much? What inner ideal or feeling made me want to flip a U-turn and drag that guy into the nearest bush and have my lascivious way with him?

What flips your switches when someone simply captures your imagination and takes it on a roller coaster ride? I think that my muse (as lazy and recalcitrant as she's been lately) is trying to inspire me to write something. And it sometimes works.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Shutting
off the faltering motor, she tossed her designer sunglasses onto the passenger
seat and slid out of the car to stare in dismay at the scary sight of a delapidated cabin
standing before her.

What have I done?

Had she
truly thought this would be a restful, wonderful rustic vacation in the Desert?
Her eyes slid over the old fashioned hand-pump that stood in front of the cabin
next to an ancient bathtub with claw feet. At least in New York she’d had running water. And a toilet. The outhouse she could
just see to the left of the area was the last frigging straw. Oh, no no no. With a fastidious shudder,
she decided that she would much rather turn right around and drive back to
town. They’d had decent motels, at least. With indoor toilets.

The door
opened without being obstinate. No rusty hinges there. The expected smells of
disuse were absent. She stepped inside the surprisingly tidy cabin and crossed
the bare wood floor. Glancing around, she moved across to a covered window and
tugged aside the sun-faded curtain. The window glass was clean. In fact,
everything seemed to be clean. The open door and the window gave the only
illumination to the interior of the utilitarian single room. She checked at the
inside edge of the door for a light switch. Nope. Great. Her gaze slid to the
vintage sconces on two of the rough log walls. Oil lamps? You have got to be shitting me!

But then,
there were no electrical wires or poles anywhere along the rutted road she’d
been following. Obtuse. Any sane woman would have noticed this fact. But then,
shouldn’t there be a generator, at least?

She bit
her lower lip and turned full circle to survey the cabin she had rented. The
floors were swept and canned goods were on the open-front shelves along the
wall. Another pair of free-standing hurricane lanterns stood on one of the
shelves. No fridge. Good thing she hadn’t brought perishables.

Well…she
had wanted rustic.

And I got ancient.

Chellie
moved methodically around the small space. Oh shit! No way. The stove was cold, but a half-full coffee pot sat on the
stovetop extension that was supported by a metal leg of sorts. It looked as if
someone had very recently been in the cabin.

Or is living here.

Was there
another cabin out here besides the one she’d rented? Obviously this one was
already occupied.

Her heart
tripped nervously. She swallowed the tightness in her throat as she moved
across the room to the old chest of drawers that stood against the far wall.
Tugging open one of the drawers, she issued an aggravated sound at the sight of
men’s jeans, a couple of T-shirts, socks and odds and ends of underwear. She lifted
a pair of soft, well-worn cotton boxer briefs between thumb and finger, and
groaned. The place most definitely was occupied. “I fucking don’t believe this!
What more can possibly go wrong today?” she said to no one in particular. A
soft coughing sound behind her made her stiffen.

“Usually
people don’t just walk in and start checking out my skivvies…but you, I don’t
mind.” The rough, deep voice came from the direction of the open door behind
her and she jerked around with a cry of shock to face the intruder. Intruder?

Oh, hell…looks like I’m the intruder…

The words,
tall, dark and incredibly rugged
flashed through her mind as she nearly tripped backwards onto the narrow bed
and barely saved herself from further humiliation by staggering sideways before
regaining her balance.

No part of the above excerpt may be used in any manner without express permission of the copyright holder Fran Lee.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Normally I would never show my face without the artifice of Photoshop...but this is about how I feel right now...worn out and trying to get myself back in balance after months of planning and working out the details of a big 50th high school reunion (and that in no way implies that I am that old)!

I am writing every day for a bit, trying to get back into gear. Without the stress of the reunion bogging me down, I find it much easier to do.

My new wip is about another hot NA hero...but this time, he gets a NA heroine. I hope I can do them both justice. It's been over a year since I subbed anything to my editor, and she's getting more authors, and is very busy. I hope I can get this one in to her by the middle of July. With luck, it may be out before Christmas.

So I won't waste more time blogging when I have writing to do...see ya next month.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

And I have been sitting back collecting dust along with my older books. I think I have read every single book on my shelves, avoiding writing. But my last royalty check galvanized me into action. I can no longer sit back and not do what it takes to continue to write.

I have picked up and dusted off one of my wips and have begun in earnest to finish it. Wish me luck. I think I can do this, and will be as diligent as possible.

It's Jillian's birthday
and she's looking forward to spending the weekend with her family,
something which is long overdue. But at the last second she receives a call
from her boss, Mike Furie, demanding she come to Aspen to rescue him once again from a
gold digging woman. Jill has made up her mind that this time she's going to
go through with telling her selfish, overbearing and sexy boss that she's
quitting. She has sacrificed her time and love life for this man and he
doesn't even seem to notice. She's fed up with Mike's antics and plans on
telling him exactly what she thinks. Once in Aspen, nothing goes as planned
for Jillian. She wakes up naked and in bed with her so sexy to die for boss
and doesn't remember signing a marriage license.Rich playboy,
Mike Furie has had plenty of personal assistants that have done nothing but
fawn all over him. For once, he wants to find a PA that will just do her
job and when Jillian fills that position, he's quite happy. Seven years and
not once has she made a move toward him, now he wants nothing more than to
have Jillian in his bed. Jillian's
Job
by Fran Lee
is the first book by her that I've had the pleasure of reading. It is a
delightful story of a frustrated woman who's been secretly in love with her
boss for a long time. Jill is unable to let Mike know her feelings for fear
of being fired, so she is a very efficient assistant. Can you say perks? I
had to laugh at some of the things that Jillian did with her expense
account. She was really quite gutsy. I never would have been able to do
that. I liked that she was finally going to stand up for herself and not
let her boss push her around. Mike is the
typical good looking, rich playboy. He goes after what he wants most of the
time, and it was nice to see him not know how to get a woman he
wanted. Ms.
Lee writes with a lot of flair, imagination, emotion, and
sex scenes that are super smoking hot. Even though
the story is short, Ms. Lee is able to create characters
that are complex and a world with a lot of detail that makes the reader
feel like they knew Mike and Jillian. If you want a shorter story
that is packed with lots of emotion and fun, pick up Jillian's Job, you
won't be disappointed. I really enjoyed reading Jillian's Job and I
look forward to reading more of Fran Lee’s books.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Helen is working a latté shop just outside an upscale high-rise
apartment in Manhattan. Switching shifts with her boss, she finds
herself face-to-face with the most delicious, maddeningly arrogant man
she’s ever met. He’s hot and sexy as hell, but the fact that he can’t
lift his eyes from her chest is a strike against him. Too bad he’s such a
jerk…she would have loved to get to know him better. But as soon as
he’s out of sight, she turns around to find another man who looks just
like him—one who looks her in the eye and has a smile that takes her
breath away.

Dear Lord, there are two of them?

Jason and
Jonathon Blackstone have the same taste in everything. Identical twins,
they often trade clothes…and sometimes they even share their women. Jon
may have seen Helen first, but Jace intends to be the man who gets her.
Unfortunately, he may just end up having to share again, since the sexy coffee girl seems to want them both.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Lisa Hampton is committed to her career, but a woman in the
traditional Japanese martial arts is seldom taken seriously. At least
not until one hot and hunky man takes her very seriously. James Rhee
runs his own brand of martial arts studio, teaching movie stars who want
to shine in their onscreen stunts.

It’s a job Lisa genuinely
wants no part of. But she soon finds it’s hard to refuse the maddening
man anything…including her body. Before she knows it, she’s let her
guard down and sinfully sizzling sex has turned into something she
simply can’t fight.

Monday, April 15, 2013

I loved writing this one. It was one part of a seven-part series about seven college buddies who came back for their 10-year college reunion...and each one found the man she left behind. This was my offering (it was formerly titled First and Ten).

Description

What Fran Jamison and Jack Gerrard have in common could be
balanced on the head of a pin. Jack screwed up his chances with the BBW
years ago when he allowed his friends to influence his choices. And Fran
totally lost her chance with the hot campus jock by openly spurning his
attempt to apologize.

Fran has never been to any of the reunions,
but now a friend needs her, so this time she hasn’t been able to shimmy
out of it. What she doesn’t expect in a million years is to find
herself making hot love with Jack Gerrard on the hood of a parked car…in
the airport parking ramp!

Jack lost her once. But if she thinks she’s getting away this time, she’s dead wrong.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Azrael Thunder Horse never thought another Anglo woman could possibly
knock him for a loop after leaving Hollywood. Despite the instant shot
of lust he feels when he first lays eyes on his new Native American
Studies teacher, he’s determined to get rid of her. After all…she misled
him with that damn Indian name of hers! But the stubborn redhead has a
thing or two to say when he tries to fire her.

Cheyenne Red Wolf
has never met a more maddening, arrogant, downright irritating man. He
hates her on sight. Too bad he’s the hottest thing she’s ever seen…and
her new boss. The man tried to fire her because she wasn’t a “real”
Indian. Good thing he can’t stand her, because she sure as hell wouldn’t
be able to say no to all that sexy, hardheaded, Lakota masculinity.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Was my Cougar Challenge offering. Seventeen authors tossed in a hot novella about a group of older women who went after younger men...and believe me, this was one of Ellora's Cave's most popular series!

Blurb:

A standalone story in the Cougar
Challenge Series.

Lee
Blackhorse is hardly Cougar material, no matter what her friends over at Tempt
the Cougar say. A forty-two-year-old woman who lusts after her thirty-year-old
weekend helper is just plain nuts. Or is it? She’s been secretly hot for the man
for years.

Mike
Running Elk is the hottest thing ever to don tight jeans and a second-skin
t-shirt…and he has no problem seeing himself in the role of lover. In fact, if
he can just get the hot-as-hell woman to realize he’s plenty old enough to ring
her bells, he plans to do more than just clean her barn and mow her grass. He’s
waited for her long enough.

When her
Saturday helper appears at her door with an injured hand, Lee can’t pull her eyes
off his naked, ripped chest. And from her heated gaze, Mike can’t believe she’s
as oblivious as she acts. The ice has been broken and he intends to heat things
up even more…